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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25156867">The real treasure was the poly-relationship we negotiated along the way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoldVarmit/pseuds/BoldVarmit'>BoldVarmit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dimension 20 (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Asexuality, Canon Compliant, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Dungeons &amp; Dragons 5th Edition, F/F, Fantasy High Freshman Year Spoilers (Dimension 20), Fantasy High Sophomore Year Spoilers (Dimension 20), Good Parent Jawbone O'Shaughnessey, Multi, Polyamory, Quests, Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:13:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25156867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoldVarmit/pseuds/BoldVarmit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A junior year class project sees Adaine, Fig, and Ayda on a quest to find Arthur Aguefort's missing journal. While the three grow closer on their quest, Fig and Ayda consider including Adaine in their relationship. Meanwhile Adaine tries to understand her sexuality.</p><p>The full title is:<br/>The real treasure was the poly-relationship we negotiated along the way but we won't get a grade for that so lets keep questing until we recover a wizard's handwritten smut.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adaine Abernant &amp; The Bad Kids, Adaine Abernant/Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth, Adaine Abernant/Figueroth Faeth, Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ever since defeating the Night Yorb last semester life at Aguefort Adventuring Academy had returned to normal. Or at least as normal as the school ever was. Though most students were enjoying their lunch hour, Adaine sat alone in the library dutifully copying a spell from a ratty old tome into her spell book. Usually she would only spent her study period in the library but recently she found herself retreating into her dusty sanctuary more and more frequently. She loved her friends but sometimes when she saw all of them partnered up with their boy and girlfriends it was easier for her to hide away by herself than to be alone surrounded by couples. She wasn’t lonely… at least she didn’t think she was. Not in the way the other teens at Aguefort were lonely and lusting over each other. </p><p>	She couldn’t place the way she felt when she watched her lovestruck friends. Maybe she was annoyed by how oblivious being in love made all her friends. As she thought, her pen slowed on the page of her spell book. Maybe she was jealous from being left out of such a seemingly universal experience. Maybe she was tired of feeling like the only person who didn’t fully understand why everyone seemed so obsessed with sex. </p><p>	She felt her palms sweat as invasive images of her nightmare forest vision roiled to the top of her increasingly insecure thoughts. She saw herself as an old woman, alone, having never known or understood one element of life that so many people obsessed over. It wasn’t just sex that she was fretting over. What scared her most from her vision was how the old Adaine hadn’t ever understood love. Adaine, the present version, currently trying in vain to steady her breathing, felt love as strongly as any emotion. She could feel love just like anyone else… she was pretty sure she did anyway. The more time she spent worrying about her lack of sexual attraction the more she worried that sex might be an integral part of love. </p><p>	Maybe she only thought she was normal because it didn’t matter before. What if her feelings of platonic, or infrequently romantic attraction were never enough? She didn’t feel sexual attraction but she knew she could something more than platonic love, an alien warmth she tenderly cultivated in her heart when certain teiflings and half-phoenixes were nearby. Did that feeling qualify as romantic? Did it count? It wasn’t so different from what the two women felt for each other… was it?</p><p>	Without thinking Adaine manifested Boggy in her hand and pulled him close. What if the people she loved so deeply saw her love the way she saw Boggy’s? Sweet and appreciated but not exclusive in the way that a romantic partner’s was. Would her love be in the same space as that of a sibling or pet? She wanted them to know that she loved them in a way she didn’t love anyone else. What if-</p><p>	Adaine jumped as a large hand rested on her shoulder. She wasn’t aware of the tears in her eyes until she had to blink through them to see Jawbone clearly. She was in a full-fledged freak-out and though her thoughts were scattered she was aware enough to be thankful she was in a very secluded corner of the library.  </p><p>	“Hey Kiddo, are you alright?” She knew he already knew she wasn’t by the way he immediately turned the neighboring chair backwards and settled into it. She couldn’t muster up a coherent sentence just yet but Jawbone’s patient, reassuring hand patting her shoulder was already helping steer her thoughts toward a softer place. What had started as a spell in her book had warped into fast-written questions that she’d unconsciously scrawled as she panicked. Jawbone’s eyes floated over the page but he quickly looked away out of privacy as soon as he caught the gist of the diary-like writing. </p><p>	“It’s okay to not know how you feel about things,” Jawbone reassured the trembling elf. “I know it’s nice to have concrete, black-and-white knowledge of things but the world is made of things that we don’t need to understand. And there’s not rush to figure things out.” Adaine shoulders shook as she heaved another deep breath. She tried to breathe the way Jawbone had taught her to when she was having a panic attack. In for four counts, hold for seven (the hard part), and out for eight. The more she calmed the easier it was to reach the full seven seconds. When she was confident she could talk without choking up she finally turned to look at her guardian.</p><p>	“I’m okay.”</p><p>	“Are you sure? It’s alright if you aren’t.” Adaine began to tear up again. Ugh! She thought she had it under control.</p><p>	“I’m not okay,” She balled her fists up in her skirt. “But I don’t know how to put it.” </p><p>	“There’s no rush. Just say it however you can and we can figure it out together.” Between Jawbone’s gentle voice and Boggy breathing rhythmically on her lap Adaine felt her muscles loosen. She still didn’t want to think too hard about what she was feeling lest her thoughts begin stampeding again like a herd of startled, deeply emotional cows.</p><p>	“I… am not- Everyone else is so.” She takes another long breath. “All my friends are dating people and banging each other and that’s fine but… I can’t feel that way. I’m asexual, I guess. And I was fine with that but I feel, I don’t know, left out? I don’t want to do it, maybe ever, but am I missing out? Everyone is always talking about it and I don’t get it.” She didn’t know what to say before but now the words wouldn’t stop flooding out. “But I still like people- like ‘like-like’ people. I want to be with people in a different way than friendship, but not with… Does that count as asexual still?”</p><p>	Jawbone nods, thinking about how to respond. “Well first-off, there is nothing wrong with not feeling sexual attraction. You are not broken or missing out or any less worthy of love than anyone else.” Adaine had been living with Jawbone for more than a year but somehow every time he said something so nice to her she still teared up. “It can be good to use labels to help you feel like a part of a community but you don’t always have to fit into them perfectly. I think you should focus on pursuing what makes you happy first, and don’t think too much about wether or not you fit into a category.” The grizzled werewolf smiled tenderly at her, searching for understanding in her eyes. “It’s okay to experiment and figure things out as long as you do it with people who respect you and want you to be happy.” </p><p>	Jawbone’s eyes pointed toward the spell book page again, to Ayda and Fig’s names hastily written. “I think your friends will be very patient and happy to help you if you talk to them about it.” Adaine’s cheeks grew warm. </p><p>	“Thank you, Jawbone.” </p><p>	“No problem, kiddo!” He stood up from his backward chair. “Oh, by the way, I was looking for you. Aguefort wants to see you in his office.” </p><p>	And just as fast as the tightness in the elf’s stomach went away it was back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Aguefort's Assignment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aguefort really ready to send minors over country borders for any reason, huh?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm gonna dedicate this one to BeastGirl2k14 who wrote a wonderful fic called "Fae, Aia, Khov" </p><p>I really enjoyed it and hope they publish more soon. There isn't enough Adaine Werewolf AU content and I really hope that is where their story is headed! Who knows, maybe my fic will explore that territory eventually too ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jawbone told Adaine again and again that if she wanted to take the rest of the day off she could and that he’d write her a note for a mental health day, but she promised him that she was only feeling her average amount of anxiety over her summons to the headmaster’s office. He could’ve called her in for any number of reasons it wasn’t necessarily something life threatening. </p><p>	Through the frosted glass of Aguefort’s office door Adaine could barely make out a few silhouettes. She eased the heavy door open slowly, careful not to make any noise that might disrupt the people inside. Fig sat with her combat-booted feet up on the fine mahogany desk. Adaine wasn’t surprised that at least one other Bad Kid was here, the group had been O for three so far at saving the school. However, the other figure in the office was a shock to her. Ayda stood tall, regarding her father cautiously. Her wary look grew bright as she spotted Adaine, though. Fig too, smiled at her friend as she pushed a desk chair in her direction. </p><p>	“Adaine! Prof. Aguefort was just reading us your extensive list of crimes against the school. Your mom and I are so disappointed!” She knew Fig meant it as a joke but Adaine’s eyebrow twitched at the familiar statement. She was still too used to the hateful glares that usually followed those words. ‘Your mother and I are so disappointed.’ She tried not to let her smile falter as she took a seat next to Fig. </p><p>	“Fig, Adaine is the least likely of nearly all of our friends to be called to the office for disciplinary reasons. If that was meant to be a practical joke you may need to pick a more believable reason for her to be called here.” Ayda still didn’t take a seat but she moved to stand closer to her best friend and lover. </p><p>	“No it was sarcasm. The joke is that Adaine is perfect-“</p><p>	“I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you three here today.” The old wizard spun his high-backed chair around to face the girls. “I have an incredibly important mission for you three.” All of the girls sat at attention. Most of the time when Aguefort called students to his office for “important missions” they ended up picking up his dry-cleaning or driving down to Bastion City to bring him a box of his favorite Donut World’s world famous donuts.  But, every once-in-a-while he would task adventuring parties with a real quest. Adaine had a feeling this quest would be more serious than donuts. </p><p>	“When I was a young wizard of only three hundred I spent a few years backpacking across Spyre to find inspiration for spells. It was wild. I was adopted by a family of Kenkus in the Swamps of Ruin. I became blood brothers with one half of an Ettin. I have a town named after an alias I used in the Red Waste.”</p><p>	“Which one?” Fig cut in.</p><p>	“Never mind that. Anyway, I was in a mushroom induced mind-meld bender in the Mountains of Chaos with a tribe of Mychonids and while I was truly seeing the world for the first time through smell and taste alone I had an epiphany about time. In my dream-state I jotted down my discoveries in a notebook.” Aguefort was working himself into a tizzy, speaking faster and faster.“That night I penned a spell that could fold and reshape time in terrifying and magnificent ways!” Adaine thought he might punctuate the sentence with a maniacal laugh or something but instead his face fell and he sank back into his chair.</p><p>“Alas, when I came down I was in a tavern in Solace and my notes were gone. I had no memory of my time after leaving the Myconid’s village.”</p><p>	“You want us to find your notes,” Adaine figured. </p><p>	“Precisely! I used the locate object spell to find out the approximate location but I can’t go find it myself.”  </p><p>	“Why not?” Ayda asked. “And why did you include me in this?”</p><p>	“Long story short if I enter the Mountains of Chaos I will be attacked on sight. I need someone who isn’t an ‘international terrorist’,” he said with a pair of air-quotes, “to go into the mountains quietly and retrieve my notebook without alerting anyone to the existence of this world altering spell. There are very few people I can trust with the information in that journal. Even the most promising students here could be seduced by the power that book holds.”</p><p>	He turned to address his daughter. “That’s why I called you here. I know you know how dangerous my notes would be if they fall into the wrong hands. And I know you have enough discipline not to read the cursed words within. Don’t even open the book! You must destroy it, for no one should have that kind of power.” </p><p>	“And us?” Fig asked, pointing a thumb between herself and Adaine.</p><p>	“I trust Ayda’s most trusted friends. Besides, your adventuring party is oh-for-three at conquering evil quests.” </p><p>	“True,” Fig agreed smugly. “But, what about the rest of the party?” </p><p>	“No. I’m certain it will only work with you three. Seacaster won’t be able to resist the call of power. Gukgak is too inquisitive, his curiosity would be his downfall. Applebees is all about finding answers! And don’t even get me started on Gorgug!” He was on his feet again, waving his arms. </p><p>	“Yeah okay, you can stop dunking on our friends.” Fig motioned for him to sit back down.</p><p>	“So you’ll do it?” Aguefort inquired. “Consider it an automatic A for the whole year. Your spring semester will basically be just for fun.” Adaine had to admit that getting a guaranteed A for the year before they even had winter break would be awesome. She would have a whole semester without having to stress about grades. </p><p>	“It sound’s like a very achievable goal to me,” the elf offered.</p><p>	“Yeah. Anything to get me out of classes.” Fig stretched her arms back behind her head, leaning into her delinquent persona even though in truth she had never gotten detention after the very first day of school. </p><p>	Ayda deliberated the most. Adaine could tell she was processing a lot of emotions behind her toiling magma-like eyes. After a pause she spoke up. “It is my responsibility as a great wizard to protect people from evil. If this spell is as dangerous as you say then it must be destroyed.” </p><p>	“Wonderful!” Arthur produced a large rolled parchment from a puff of purple smoke and stuck it out toward Adaine. “The locate object spell pointed me to this location. I’ve marked it for you.” Adaine unrolled the parchment and found it to be a large, detailed map of Spyre. </p><p>	It took Adaine a moment of scanning the enormous map before her eyes found the place Aguefort was talking about. A shimmering X floated over a small squiggle in the Mountains of Chaos. Upon closer inspection the squiggle was the word “Rubblecap Village.” And just to the north of that sat “Rubblecap caverns.” </p><p>	Adaine felt a hand on her shoulder as Fig leaned in to get a good look at the map. The young oracle felt the tips of her long pointed ears grow hot as she blushed. Ayda leaned in on her other side, careful not to touch Adaine incase that was something she might be offended by. There was no organic way for Adaine to explain to Ayda that physical contact didn’t bother her, at least not when it was from someone she was so close to. Actually, it didn’t just ‘not bother her,’ she actively enjoyed the moments when one of the other Bad Kids would high-five her after a fight, or lean against her on movie night when they would all crowd onto one of Fabian’s couches to watch his huge flat-screen. Her skin always felt tingly after being touched and when her friend would move on she would silently morn losing the sensation of a body against her own. </p><p>	She pushed that thought away as Aguefort tossed a small metal lighter to her. “The leather that binds that journal is enchanted and can’t be destroyed by normal means.” Fig excitedly swiped the lighter from her hands and flicked it open. A blue and purple flame shimmied at the tip of the lighter. “This flame can burn any magic artifact within seconds,” Aguefort explained. The teifling pulled one of her hand-rolled cloves from her dress pocket and brought it to the fire. Nothing happened. The rolling paper didn’t burn or even singe. “It only works on magical artifacts.” </p><p>	“Lame.” Fig pocketed her clove. “If you could enchant it to light magic on fire you totally could’ve made it work on normal stuff too.”</p><p>	Aguefort ignored her and rose from his desk chair. “That’s everything you need. Spend tomorrow making preparations. I want you on the road by Friday!” The wizard began ushering them toward the door. Adaine knew she should have questions, but in that moment her brain couldn’t pull together any serious concerns. Before she had time to ask Aguefort to repeat himself the office door closed behind her. </p><p>	Adaine looked down at the map clenched in her hands. Surely this quest wouldn’t be any more harrowing that the others she’d been on. They weren’t up against a warlord or a demigod this time and the Mountains of Chaos weren’t nearly as frightening as the Forest of the Nightmare King. Still, she had never had this few teammates on a quest before. </p><p>	She doesn’t realize her friends have started to walk on without her until Fig reaches back to touch her lightly on the shoulder. “You coming, girl?” Fig’s smiling at her but in her eyes lies a silent question. ‘Are you ok?’ Beside the teifling Ayda has a look of more obvious concern. </p><p>	“Yes! I am all good over here!” Adaine forces a smile but even Ayda can see it’s complete bullshit. Fig’s hand slips down from the lithe elf’s shoulder, tracing the curve of her arm until her warm hand curls around Adaine own cold, delicate fingers. Adaine immediately felt her neck grow warm. As the heat quickly spread over her face she feared her large round glasses might fog up. Of course Fig didn’t seem to notice as she turned and pulled Adaine along, still not releasing the elf’s hand which was growing embarrassingly sweaty. </p><p>	‘Ok Adaine! You can do this. Just push those feelings down for another week of until the quest is over. And then just do it forever after that. Easy!’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow, chapter two is here and it only took me six weeks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Bad Kids throw a going away party for the trio and Adaine gets sisterly advice.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night before Fig, Ayda, and Adaine were scheduled to leave the Bad Kids spent some quality time together the way they often do; in the form of a massive party! The girls had already gotten the itinerary of their trip sorted out with a lot of help from Sandra Lynn. She wrote out detailed directions for them on their massive map and help them organize provisions, and supplies. Fig asked Gorgug if she could borrow The Van II after promising to keep it in tip-top shape. After the Nightmare King quest Gorgug saved up for a new (to Gorgug at least), non-angle fueled van. The seats were immediately reupholstered and Haven was immediately recast on it. Everything seemed to be well thought-out, the only thing left to do was say goodbye and be wished luck by their friends. </p><p>In terms of Bad Kid Parties this one was just below the feral-ness of the shrimp party. Jawbone let the kids use the first floor of the manor, only telling them not to break anything they couldn’t fix and to be respectful of each other’s sexual boundaries. Adaine hid her face in her hands and groaned as her adoptive father set a box of protection on the TV stand in front of the gathered teens. “Just… Ya’ll be aware of how you’re feeling and if things start to go in that direction… Ya know, wrap it up. You gotta be responsible.” The teens gave a chorus of ‘yes sir’s as Jawbone shot them finger guns and headed up the stairs to give them privacy to party. </p><p>In addition to the kids who lived there full-time were Fabian, Riz, Gorgug, and Zelda. Between each visiter bringing snacks and Aelwyn’s junk food run earlier that day in preparation for the party there wasn’t a single empty counter in the kitchen. Jawbone and Sandra Lynn decided to turn a blind eye to the six-packs of beer that Fabian and Ragh failed to sneak in unnoticed. They both knew from their own teenage years that being told ‘no’ meant fuck-all to kids who had already been on several life threatening adventures. Sandra Lynn settled for placing gallons of water around the downstairs in obvious places with a passive-aggressive note to ‘Stay Hydrated! Seriously!’ left on the cupboard where Ragh thought he was hiding the booze. </p><p>Every Bad Kid Party was kind of like a three-ring circus. The backyard became designated rough-housing territory where the three Owlbears (and occasionally Fig and Tracker) would talk each other into doing stupid shit. In the living room the TV played a mostly ignored sitcom while a group played “strip-or-don’t” poker. The rules of the game being that you could bet with money or clothes based on the individual’s comfort level. It had been fun at first until it became obvious Adaine and Aelwyn both knew how to count cards, and worse; both were getting way too competitive. That game ended when a very broke and nearly naked Kristen had to step between the Abernants before a full-on wizards’ duel could unfold. </p><p>After midnight the raucous energy started to die down. The gang was all at least a little drunk and worn-out from going too hard for the first few hours of the party. Even Fig, whose party stamina was legendary, plopped down onto the couch sandwiched tightly between her paramour and an emotionally exhausted Adaine. The elf was almost too tired to feel bashful as Fig leaned against her shoulder. </p><p>The teens were all strewn across furniture in the living room, half-watching fantasy-Vine compilations but mostly just enjoying being near each other. Aelwyn was teasing the feathered ends of Fabian’s quaffed hair, despite the two having “broken-up” for the third time this month just a day before. Riz perched on the arm of the couch on Fabian’s other side, occasionally holding out pretzel sticks from a bag for the toned fighter to grab with his mouth. Gorgug and Zelda leaned against each other on the floor giggling to each other over memes on her phone. They were leaning back against Tracker and Kristen’s legs as the girls shared the loveseat. Adaine noticed that all around her were couples, serene and in love and for the first time in maybe her whole life she felt jealous of what they all had. </p><p>Her inner voice was screaming at her not to, but she glanced over at Fig and Ayda on the couch next to her. Her heart folded in on itself as she watched Ayda’s arm wrap around Fig’s shoulder and her fingers gently caress the half-fiend’s thin pointed ear. Adaine drank in the image of Fig’s deep blush and Ayda’s tender look as she turned to press her lips to Fig’s forehead. They looked so beautiful and happy …and like they didn’t need anyone else. Like they didn’t need her. </p><p> </p><p>Adaine abruptly pushed herself up from the couch to refill her mostly full cup. The motion caused Fig to slump backward into Adaine’s spot. “Does anyone need anything while I’m up?” She asked mostly to be polite and was a little annoyed when her party actually began sounding off. </p><p>“Can you get me a bag of ice?” Gorgug rubbed the bruise on his elbow from a spectacularly failed dance-battle he had with Fabian. Adaine gave him a thumbs up.</p><p>“Can you refill my rum-and-coke?” Kristen lifted her solo cup. Everyone had similar wants that they shouted to her as she inched toward the kitchen trying not to seem too eager to get away from the group.</p><p>Adaine looked over the sea of raised cups and snack bowls. “You know what, I’ll just bring the food in here.” She slunk through the door before anyone else could add to her to do list. If she had looked behind her she might have noticed Fig’s concern or the way Ayda had raised a hand to get her attention. Or she might have noticed her big sister’s ever-perceptive eyes dart back and forth between the young oracle and her future adventuring companions. </p><p>				———————————————————</p><p>Compared to the crowded merriment of the living room, the kitchen seemed deserted. There was evidence of the partiers everywhere; half empty two-liters, pizza boxes stacked on top of the trashcan lid, and an ice cream container that had a shallow, muddy pool of what had once been Neapolitan. </p><p>Adaine was relieved to have a minute to herself. Not that the party wasn’t fun! She just needed a breather. Especially after all the unwanted thoughts that swam through her mind when she looked at her two… crushes? It felt weird to admit, even in her own head but the feeling was weighing on her like a backpack full of Sylvan tomes and it was pointless to ignore it. She didn’t know how she’d deal with being alone on her quest with them. </p><p>She took her time stacking snacks and bottles on a sandwich platter that she could more easily carry. Remembering Gorgug’s request, she pulled a ziplock baggie from the cupboard and went to open the freezer door. She jumped as she felt a light hand on her shoulder. It made sense that she didn’t hear Aelwyn coming. Both the Abernant sisters had incredibly light footsteps but Aelwyn’s natural grace let her move like a wisp through the manor. </p><p>“I got you something for your trip,” Aelwyn said holding a closed hand out to her sister. Adaine felt a smooth dense stone fall into her waiting palm. The face of the stone featured a relief carving of a human leaning toward the left side of the stone with her hand obscuring her mouth as if she were whispering. Aelwyn held up a matching stone with a carving of a woman cupping her ear leaning toward the right of the stone. Together they made one image of people having a secret conversation.</p><p>“Sending Stones?” Adaine had seen such items in books but never in person. </p><p>“I just didn’t want you to waste any spell slots when you want to get in touch.” Aelwyn turned up her nose haughtily but still wore a little grin. “I can hear you from anywhere in the world and you get one free call per day so there’s no excuse not to check in and…” Aelwyn became bashful and waved her dismissively hand as if trying to fan away the conversation. “Let me know how you’re doing.”  </p><p>Despite her sister’s best efforts at appearing cold Adaine could tell Aelwyn was going to miss her. She hugged her tightly, muttering a quite ‘thank you’ into the pear-scented hair that fell past Aelwyn’s collarbone. Aelwyn had grown her hair out again over the course of the school year and although Adaine had become very familiar with the fragrance of her sister’s shampoo she still felt fuzzy every time she was close enough to Aelwyn to smell it. Adaine recognized that she had probably been hold her for too long but didn’t let go. She felt like she couldn’t. It was always that way with her.</p><p>The other bad kids were all very accustom to psychical affection. They would clean each other up after battles, pile into too-small booths at Basrar’s, and generally just place hands on one another. They all seemed not to mind all the casual touching, but Adaine panicked just about every time it happened. </p><p>She grew-up thinking that no one ever really touched another person. When one of her friends touched her, even just for a second, she would feel giddy and nervous and bubbly all day. She couldn’t understand how the others could be so handsy and not feel weird about it.</p><p>The longer Adaine spent around the Faeth-O’Shaughnessey family the more obvious it became that her family, her old family that is, was messed up. Not just in the ways she had always recognized, like her parents’ constantly ignoring or chastising her. In a session with her therapist she realized how odd it was that her parents forbade physical affection in their house. No pats on the back  when she got good grades, or hugs when she was hurt, she had never even seen her parent’s so much as kiss on the cheek before. When she and Aelwyn escaped their awful household one of the first things they tried to normalize was physical affection. </p><p>Eventually Aelwyn let her go. Adaine thanked her for the sending stone again and lifted the tray of snacks from the counter. </p><p>“One more thing before you go off on your quest, baby sister?” Aelwyn’s voice has dropped to a whisper. </p><p>“What is it?” Adaine expected whatever it was to be quick but Aelwyn lifted the snack platter from her hands and placed it back on the counter. Despite wanting to be away from the cloud of hormones in the living room she didn’t know if she wanted to be in a drawn out one-on-one conversation either. Her chest still felt tight from her slight episode on the couch earlier. </p><p>“Is something going on with you?” Adaine felt her palms grow warm at her sister’s inquiry. Did she do something weird? Was it completely obvious that she was a disaster around her friends?</p><p>“Other than the dangerous quest I’ll be going on tomorrow?” She tried to deflect. </p><p>“Don’t fuck around, you know what I’m referring to. I phrased it as a question to be nice. Did something happen between you and Fig and Ayda?” She said ‘Fig and Ayda’ like they were one entity and again Adaine felt a strange tug at her heart. </p><p>“No-I…” She stammered, not sure if she could finish her sentence but Aelwyn looked at her with patience. Adaine knew that was something her sister had been practicing a lot recently. The young elf took a breath and forced her shoulders to relax. “Nothing happened between us. But maybe I want something to.”<br/>
She expected her sister to laugh or scoff at her pathetic pining, it’s certain something her parents would’ve done, but instead Aelwyn patted her shoulder. “I think you should go for it.”</p><p>“You don’t think they would be uncomfortable? With me trying to butt into their relationship? What is I freak them out. The quest will be impossible if I make everything weird between us.” </p><p>“Adaine, your friends are already weird.” Adaine rolled her eyes at her sister’s jab. Aelwyn squeezed her shoulder again. “But they’re also the sweetest people I’ve ever known. If you talk to them about your feelings I know they won’t let things be weird between you. In the worst case scenario they will still be your friends. Besides, it beats sulking off in another room every time you get all ‘lonely teen angsty’ about it.” The older girl feigned heartbreak with a dramatic hand wave and Adaine giggled despite herself. </p><p>“Okay. I’ll give it a shot.” Adaine drifted back to the counter where the platter waited. “Thanks for being a good big sister.” Aelwyn tussled her baby sisters platinum hair. </p><p>“Any time, darling.”</p><p>“Now, are you going to help me carry this?” She said over the pile of snack food.</p><p>“I think you’ve got it.” Aelwyn turned languidly in her high heels and cat-walked back toward the living room.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow, can you believe its been 40 years since I last posted. I hope this will tide ya'll over until I can write another chapter.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter was very character focused but I'm planning to get more plot centric later on. Let me know what you think, it really helps me keep motivated to continue writing.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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